Kat’s Pause

At every school there are athletic teams people come out to see, and then there are those that, for myriad reasons, often have an audience of, well, not many.

Kathleen Szmit

Rightful praise

At every school there are athletic teams people come out to see, and then there are those that, for myriad reasons, often have an audience of, well, not many. All too often, fans elect to take in the games involving teams that promise excitement, a victory, and something to cheer about. I’d like to shine the light on four teams whose 2010 seasons are proving that each is something to cheer about. First, though in no particular order, I’ll focus on the Barnstable High School girls varsity soccer team. This is a team that has struggled mightily with success in the past, posting end-of-season records that have dipped as low as 1-15-2. It’s been a decade since the team has enjoyed a winning season. With that under their hats, one might think these girls would simply give up, or at the very least, not care. Instead, under the guidance of a spirited new head coach (Lee Docherty) the 2010 Raiders regrouped, morphing throughout the season from an unsure band of individuals to a solid, skilled team. Those in attendance at recent games have been treated to some exceptional play regardless of what the scoreboard has read. With a majority of players returning next season, the future for this team looks bright. Another team that’s heading toward a strong future is the Sturgis volleyball team. Given that it’s still a relatively new team, only formed two seasons ago, one should expect some growing pains (read: more losses than wins). While that might appear to be the case (their current record is 4-7), it is more than worth mentioning that the Storm fought back this week to defeat a seasoned Cape Tech team 3-2, after winning a tiebreak match 15-11. When you take into consideration that the team is still young in comparison to other opponents from teams with long histories, it’s a huge win, especially in a town where the word “volleyball” conjures up the consistently successful Barnstable teams. My feeling is that as the Storm builds strength, the Town of Barnstable will have another high school volleyball team to celebrate. The Sturgis volleyball team isn’t the only team that’s proving their might. Though not as young, the boys soccer team has certainly endured its share of life at the losing end of the sports spectrum. Not this year. Recently the team trumped Cape Cod Academy 4-0 before this week besting Chatham 1-0 to improve to an impressive 9-6 overall record. Gone seem to be the days when Storm opponents shrugged off what they claimed would be an easy win. Now the Sturgis boys are sturdy players in their own right. Then there is the Barnstable boys varsity soccer team. Like the girls, this is a team that has struggled to find even small successes, and like the girls has gone a decade without a true winning season. This year began with the arrival of a new head coach (Bill Altieri) who brought with him a new can-do attitude. I’m guessing that for a team used to disappointment (their 2009 record was 4-12-1), being told they were capable of winning was a difficult concept to accept. Fortunately, the 2010 Red Raiders rose to Altieri’s challenges, and after a tough start to the season, started letting his messages sink in. With that acceptance came a turn of the tides in the shape of wins. In fact, the team’s last loss came to Falmouth back in September, a team the Raiders defeated 1-0 Oct. 22. This week, however, the Red Raiders put the icing firmly on their cake, defeating Dartmouth to claim their first-ever Old Colony League title. Not bad for a team who hasn’t won a championship since the 1970s (1973, Southeastern Mass Conference). So what’s the point? Well, something Coach Altieri said about his team stuck with me. “We want respect. We want to be respected like the other teams are,” he told me. In my opinion, every team, every athlete deserves respect. Let’s start with the ones mentioned here and take it from there, fans.